


When Love Takes You In

by CatofChaos



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Frigga's badass parenting, Humor, Intersex Loki, M/M, Odin's A+ Parenting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 08:21:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2184624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatofChaos/pseuds/CatofChaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>***ON HIATUS***  Sometimes, a home isn’t a house, or even a family. For some, home is a place where joy thrives, where you feel you truly belong. It’s a place where all loneliness ends, and a new life takes root. Sometimes, home is found in the heart of someone you love, and who loves you back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> //This is basically a intentionally very long fanfiction that is really just a string of little mini stories I've wanted to write all meshed together. This chapter is from Frigga's POV, but will focus more on Thor and Loki's relationship in the next chapters. 
> 
> And as a general warning to my writing style overall, I do what I want. :3
> 
> ***So I lost inspiration for this fic but I'll keep it up incase I might try to finish it again.***

Chapter One

Down by the shore of Asgard, a soft breeze floated across the salty water and into the city. It danced through the branches of the trees, sprinkled water drops from a fountain into the air, fluttered the corners of a flag, until finally the breeze blew gently through the parted curtains of the queen’s chambers. The calm summer wind went unnoticed by the queen, who sat motionless in a chair with a book in hand. Though her mind was miles away.

At this very moment, a bloody war was being fought on Jotunheim between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants. Hundreds of Aseir warriors had already fallen in battle, and thousands more were still fighting. Among those warriors was the queen’s husband, Odin, King of Asgard. And though many woman all across the realm suffered from worry over their own husbands and sons, it all paled in comparison to the pain in Frigga’s troubled heart. She knew all too well that the war was all still in the balance, and if Odin somehow fell in battle, Asgard’s army could easily fall with him.

“…Mother?”

A soft voice brought Frigga’s thoughts back to her room. She looked down over the top of her book to meet the vivid blue eyes of her five year old son, Thor. Frigga knew she _must_ have been deep in thought not to hear the little prince’s loud footsteps when he came into her chambers.

“Yes, love?” She asked with somewhat of a forced smile.

Thor tugged at her skirt, a habit he’d made that said he wanted to be held. “I miss father…Will he be home soon?”

Frigga smiled gently as she picked up the boy with ease and set him down in her lap. She brushed the blond hair out of his face and mustered the best confident smile she could. “Let’s hope so.” Her tone dropped a bit though, and so did her smile as she confessed “I miss your father too.”

The young prince pushed out a sigh, letting his body slump into his mother’s.

Frigga frowned. Thor had always been so full of energy and his beaming smiles before his father left. Now, the queen hardly ever saw Thor even grin. And she couldn’t blame him. It was hard enough for her to have her husband absent, and it filled her heart with sorrow to think what her boy must be feeling.

Wrapping her arms around Thor’s small frame, Frigga tried to think of something that would cheer her son’s spirits. She looked about the room to see what was at her disposal, until her eyes found just the right object. “Why don’t we read a story, Thor?” Frigga looked down at her sad boy and smiled encouragingly. “One with a happy ending?”

Thor only shrugged, blue eyes just as mothers had been a few minutes ago, distant and withdrawn. It wasn’t until the queen had actually began to read aloud that he seemed to come back to reality. He was expecting a fairy tale that ended with the hero marrying a maiden, but Frigga had something else in mind.

She read Thor a story about his grandfather, Bor, and the war he led against the Dark Elves. As Frigga described the weapons of the nightmarish creatures and the battles that sometimes lasted days, Thor slowly turned from his hiding place among his mother’s robes and took interest in the book’s brilliant illusions. By the time they were half way through the tale, his eyes had become entranced by the life-like pictures in front of him. He could almost hear his grandfather’s courageous war cry through his mother’s steady voice as she read.

They read together until the story reached its end. The Dark Elves, against all odds, were defeated. And the Asgardians celebrated their victory and the bravery of the king. But Thor fell asleep before he could hear the details of the grand parties held in the palace. Curled up in his mother’s lap with his head on her chest, the little prince breathed softly and dreamed of his father returning as triumphantly as Borr had.

Frigga watched her son sleep for a few minutes as she herself relaxed, silently thinking that she was holding a blessing her arms. She and her husband had waited a long time for a child. And though Frigga’s heart longed for more children, she never forgot what an amazing son she already had.

Thor had much of his father in him, even though he was still so young in years. The golden locks and blue eyes were definitely Odin, as was the fighting spirit Thor was starting to show. And like most boys his age, Thor had yet to learn how to be nimble or know when to use his ‘inside voice’. But Frigga suspected he got this from his father too.

Sighing gently, the queen set the book down on the small table next to her and placed her arms like a blanket around her son. Maybe it was the stress of keeping the realm in order while Odin was away, maybe it was the lack of peaceful sleep in the past few months - but either way, Frigga fell asleep not ten minutes after Thor did.

…

When the queen woke from her unintentional nap, she was surprised to find that the afternoon was gone and evening was upon Asgard. Now amber – orange rays lit the room, and outside Frigga could see the sky was preparing for night as the stars made their steady appearance in the growing dusk. Her back felt a little stiff, yet when she looked down the discomfort was completely forgotten.

Thor was still soundly asleep, limbs sprawled out in all directions in her embrace like when he was baby. His face, due to slumber, had lost that blank expression he had taken on and gave way to a peaceful one. In his dreams, it seemed the aching for his father was forgotten. Frigga sighed and smiled, feeling reluctant to wake him. “Thor. Wake up, love.”

It took a bit longer to rouse Thor, he was such a heavy sleeper, but finally he sat up and yawned. The prince rubbed his eyes, though the drowsiness seemed unwilling to leave just yet.

“I’m hungry.” He stated, looking up at his mother.

“Then let’s go eat.” She kissed his forehead and lifted Thor down to the floor. Frigga then stood up herself, taking a brief moment to get her long skirts in order before taking her son’s hand and leading him to the door.

But before they’d even exited the room, the sound of a distant, but very familiar thrumming reached their ears. Frigga and Thor both stopped and stood dead still, listening intently to the powerful noise coming from the edge of the realm. There was no doubt – it was the Bifrost.

Heimdall had brought someone home.

Thor glanced up at his mother, excitement and hope lighting up his face and eyes. “Is it father?”

In her own heart, Frigga felt optimism and hopefulness rising in a flood of emotions. She griped Thor’s hand tighter in her own and smiled, really smiled as she said “Let’s find out.”

…

Asgard was a large realm by all means, but when Odin and his troops returned victorious, the news spread faster than wildfire. Every bell tower was ringing, confetti seemed to be raining from the twilight sky, and in every corner of the city joyful smiles broke out like a contagious plague. The Frost Giants had surrendered, and peace was restored.

Soldiers were on their way home to their families, and their king was riding back to his home, the palace. There waiting for his arrival eagerly, was his wife Frigga and his son, Thor. Frigga stood with Thor at the steps of the palace, surrounded by the rest of the welcome party composed of lords and ladies of the court. A bright smiled spread to her lips as the gates opened and her husband came into view, though it faded into a concerned frown.

As Odin’s horse trotted into the courtyard with his personal guard, Frigga could see a bandage wrapped around his head and right eyes. Blood seeped through the white cloth, and Frigga was reminded of an old saying that ‘all wars come with a cost, even to their victors’. Nevertheless, the queen’s heart was soaring with delight upon seeing her husband again all in one piece – more or less.

The second Odin’s still frost-covered boots hit the ground, Thor broke free from his mother’s gentle hold and rushed to his father’s side. Frigga’s grinned returned, and she laughed jubilantly as she watched Odin pick up Thor, both smiling as radiant as the sun. Her approach was little more dignified…a little.

Gathering her skirts up with a skill she’d long perfect, Frigga barely managed _not_ to run as her son had and walked swiftly to greet her husband. With Thor still in one arm, Odin wrapped the other around Frigga and placed a kiss on her cheek.

Now she was smiling brightly too, and all the stress and fears of the past months seemed to melt off the queen. They were together as a family again, they would be alright.

“How have you faired, my boy?” Odin grinned down at Thor, no doubt marveling at how he’d grown in his absence. “You look strong enough to be a knight.”

Thor’s eyes were shinning like stars, something Frigga hadn’t seen in weeks. He didn’t say anything surprisingly and just laughed, full of giddiness as he hugged his father again. Odin chuckled and turned to Frigga, a softer and tenderer smile that belonged only to her forming on his tired face.

“You look as beautiful as the day I left.” He said. “Of all the woman in the realms, I know none with the strength you possess, Asgard seems to have thrived well under your care. And I couldn’t be more proud.”

Frigga smiled, heart swelling a bit for she had truly missed Odin terribly. “Thank you, my love. It’s wonderful to have you home.”

For one amazing and sparkling moment, everything seemed perfect. The war was over; they were all safe from harm’s reach and at last a family once more. But when Frigga heard the cries of a child, that all changed forever.

The queen looked around the courtyard, searching for the source of the sorrowful cries. Her eyes came to rest on one of the lords of the company, Tyr. In his broad arms was a crying infant…A Jotun infant.

Shocked and puzzled, Frigga looked to her husband with a hundred questions on her tongue. One look from Odin however, and she fell silent. His face had suddenly become cold, stiff and something changed in his gaze…Something that Frigga had never seen before. And it frightened her. Since when did her husband look at a child, not matter where it was from, with such spite?

Thor, on the other hand, spoke his mind. “Father…Who is that?” He pointed to the baby, just as surprised as his mother, but equally curious about the child. He’d never seen a Jotun before, and the monstrous picture in his mind of the race didn’t match the small baby he saw crying in Lord Tyr’s arms.

Odin only drew in a deep breath and sighed rigidly before saying quietly “Your mother and I must talk – in private.”

…

“Explain it to me again. Please.”

Frigga and Odin were now sitting in their chambers, where the king had just told her of the details of what happened on Jotunheim. But Frigga knew that when Odin retold a story, he was more likely to mention a detail that he’d left out previously. And she wanted to know _everything_ this time.

Sighing, Odin sat back in his chair and repeated what he’d just said in a dry tone. “After Laufey was defeated, I sent my men into the temple and they found _that_ in there. Left alone to die, abandoned. Once it was confirmed that it was the child of Laufey, I decided to bring it back to Asgard. The Jotun runt may prove useful should trouble arise again with the Frost Giants. And if not, there’s no harm done.”

Closing her eyes, Frigga tried to quiet the anger festering in her heart. Odin had indeed changed, hardened by the war to the point of where he couldn’t even see that the child was just that, a _child._

“Did you consider how Laufey would react to having his sworn enemy kidnaping his son?” She kept her tone soft and even, though her normally good-natured brown eyes were sharp as razors. “Or, for that matter, how this child will be raised in a foreign realm that thinks of his kind is a race of monsters?”

“He is a runt, Frigga.” Odin retorted in a stern voice. “They are not like us, a defected child is of no interest to the cold hearted Jotuns.”

 _‘Who’s being cold hearted?’_ Frigga thought to herself, and nearly said it aloud. “But how is he to be raised? Tell me you at least gave that part of your plan some thought.”

The king stared at her for a good long moment, though Frigga didn’t even flinch. She was too irritated to have room for fear.

“The child would stay in a house until grown. And should any trouble come at his hand, there’s always the prisons-“

“What?!” Frigga’s last nerve of patience snapped. She could have argued, but her heart was still in shock that such cold words were coming from her husband. He’d changed more than she’d thought. Frigga stood up and left the room, opening the doors with the flick of her hand and slamming them shut in the same way. Odin called after her, but his voice and words had become meaningless.

The queen stormed out of the palace and escaped outside into the gardens. She sat down on a cold stone bench, breathless from anger. Yes, Asgardians did often think of themselves as superior to the other eight races. But Odin, the _Allfather_ was the protector of _all_ the creatures in Yggdrasil. And to plummet down so low to use a _child_ as leverage against an enemy was wrong on more levels than Frigga could name.

Years of experience told Frigga she couldn’t dwell on her anger, as hard as it was to ignore it. Instead, she looked around her and focused on her surroundings rather than what she felt inside. It was now evening, and the iridescent moon hung low in the sky as it continued its voyage across the stars. With the light of the moon and glowing, candle filled palace behind her, Frigga gazed about the gardens that had been transformed by the coming of night.

The center fountain seemed to have silver flowing from its elegant top rather than water, and made a lovely symphony of splashes that filled the night air like a natural melody. The normally vibrant colors of the flowers were subdued in the tranquil moonlight, and as a cool breeze made the leaves sway like waves on a sea of trees, Frigga succeeded in pulling in a calm breath and releasing it without much tension.

The queen looked up at the stars, so cold with their light, yet they held great beauty and splendor for people of all kinds to admire. Frigga thought to herself that people could be similar to stars. Radiant, magnificent…but impassive. Though that did not necessarily mean all good had been abandoned in their hearts…Abandoned!

In her confusion and anger about the situation the Jotun child was in, she’d forgotten completely to see to his immediate needs. Had he been fed? Was the temperature too warm for him? ...Was anyone even caring for him?

That last question got Frigga to her feet and almost running back into the palace.

…

Much to her relief, the Jotun child had been cared for by Lord Tyr. She found out the child’s name was Loki, and after a short conversation of the battle, Frigga told the lord to go and retire. She would look after the baby. Tyr, who was more than exhausted, thanked the queen and left…leaving just Frigga and Loki in the guest room that had been converted into a temporary nursery.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Staring over the crib edge, Frigga got her first solid look at Loki. He was indeed small, even by Asir standers. The air around him seemed chilled, and when Frigga cautiously touched the baby’s tiny hand, his blue skin was truly cold like the first snow of winter. Loki was asleep for the moment, though it was obvious to Frigga from the puffy-redness around his closed eyes that he’d cried himself into slumber.

Without taking her eyes off Loki, Frigga flicked her wrist and a chair quietly dragged itself behind the queen and she sat down. As she did so, Loki stirred from his restless sleep. At first, he seemed confused, staring about the strange room. Then after a few seconds Loki began to cry.

It was an even, wailing sound, and Frigga felt her heart strings being pulled as she watched the baby’s red colored eyes fill and overfull with tears. She tried to calm him, speaking in a soft, friendly tone. “Hush little one…You’re safe here with me.”

Apparently, Loki didn’t believe her and just continued sobbing in a mournful pitch. The queen sighed, then smiled as an idea dawned on her. She closed her fingers in view of the baby, and as her hand glowed green the little infant started to look on with curiously, still tear-filled eyes. When Frigga opened her fingers, a small block of ice formed that would stay cold and refused to melt with the aid of magic.

She held it out to Loki, a tender, warm smile on her face to reassure him. Loki stared at the cube, then at Frigga with his lower lip still quivering. Frigga gently pressed the ice to the child’s own fingers, and an expression akin to recognized washed over his face as he grabbed the cube for his own.

Smiling, the queen watched as Loki observed the block of ice in his hands. Slowly, it calmed him and the tears stopped rolling down his cheeks as he held the cube securely, then put it in his mouth and babbled. Frigga smiled even brighter, captivated by the mystery before her.

“I see you have been charmed by him.”

Odin’s voice startled Frigga, though the steadiness of his tone was without the spite it held earlier. She turned to look at him and nodded. “Yes,” Frigged gazed back at Loki, who seemed to be focusing on some unseen thing. “…And I want to keep him.”

The king seemed taken aback for a moment and said nothing, staring at Loki in deep consideration of his wife’s statement. The child himself was now almost like a coiled spring of concentration. Suddenly, to both Frigga’s and Odin’s surprise, Loki’s azure skin faded to pale skin. Red eyes changed to deep green, and a light halo of dark hair crowned the baby’s head. Loki had shape-shifted into an Aesir, or the best one he could conjure at his very young age.

“Well aren’t you a clever lad.” Frigga cooed, reaching out to touch Loki’s now warmer hand. He grasped one of the queen’s fingers with all of his own and started to babble again, almost pleased that his skin now looked more like Frigga’s.

As Frigga tenderly picked up the child in her arms, Odin cleared his throat and finally spoke. “Are you certain you can care for him?”

Maybe it was his old self momentarily resurfacing, or perhaps Odin simply knew it was pointless to argue with Frigga about the matter, but it became clear he was conceding. He was allowing his wife to care for the child…for now. Besides, what better way to keep an eye on him?

Frigga looked at Odin with Loki in her arms and smiled softly. “Yes. I believe it shall be no great struggle…Thank you.” She chuckled. “Thor keeps asking for a brother anyway. It seems he got his wish.”

“I did?”

Odin and Frigga turned to the doorway and found Thor standing there, watching them. He was in his red night clothes, though it appeared that the little prince ignored the call of sleep and instead sought to satisfy his curiosity. He was staring at Loki with an innocent interest, hesitating to move forward until Frigga motioned for him to do so. 

“Come here, Thor. Don’t be afraid.” The queen beckoned with a gentle hand.

Thor approached slowly at first, though curiosity overcame his hesitation and he was soon standing beside his mother, peering up at the child. Frigga kneeled down next to her son so that he could see better and smiled. “His name is Loki.”

The prince didn’t say anything, just stared. Loki was far too preoccupied with his cube of ice to take notice of the other however, at least not until a flood of questions came out of Thor’s mouth to make up for his previous silence. “How old is he? Will he want to play with me? _Can_ he play with me? …Will he like me? What if he doesn’t? What-“

“He’s not much younger than you.” Frigga interrupted. “And I’m certain that you’ll both get along if you’re both good to each other.”

Thor nodded, and then looked at Odin. “Why is he here though, and not in Jotunheim?”

Frigga cleared her throat with a great lack of grace, but then smiled. “We’ll explain later dear.”

Visibly unsatisfied with this answer, Thor frowned at his mother and sighed heavily. His attention was once again drawn to Loki however, who had just taken notice of the much younger Asgardian. Ice cube forgotten, Loki stared at Thor with interested green eyes but with a completely still expression, like he didn’t know what to make of him.

“Why don’t you say hello?” The queen suggested positively.

Thor took a step closer and said a tentative “Hello” accompanied by one of his big, warm smiles. And as Frigga watched, Loki smiled back in a toothless grin and laughed. The tension in the room eased, melted away by the simple exchange of friendly expressions between two princes of two different realms.  Perhaps, this strange turn of events would end up alright after all…and smile could indeed make all the difference in the world.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a whore for fluff okay? This chapter is more of a filler and shorted than I wanted it to be. But after the next chapter, things in the story will begin to pick up pace and we'll get to more fun stuff. For now, enjoy! :3

Three years after the confrontation with Jotunheim ended, the Aesir were living in a much more comfortable, and peaceful state. The realm was flourishing under Odin’s rule, who had become the most recent hero for the Asgardians. The king was praised for his victory in the war, and for his ‘compassionate heart’ with the subject of the Jotun child he had adopted. The common story was that Odin saw the child, Loki, and took pity on him, then out of sympathy he brought the baby back as his own son. Only his wife Frigga knew the true tale, and she found the whole matter still appalling but kept that opinion to herself.

Thor however greatly enjoyed having a brother. He and Loki would spend _hours_ together, playing in the nursery or out in the gardens. Thor, who was now eight years of age, had become quite the protective elder brother and looked out for Loki like it was his job. And in the prince’s mind, it was.

 Loki himself seemed happy enough in Asgard. He had the life status of royalty, and the company and affection of his adopted mother and brother. He didn’t see much of Odin, nor wanted too. The four year old didn’t really care much for the old king, for he was rather dull, solemn, and overall uninteresting to the child’s eyes. He preferred the companionship of Thor above all others anyways.

The two princes were practically inseparable…until Odin thought it was time Thor had his own room.

It took almost a week to get the chambers ready for Thor. New blankets, new curtains, rugs, décor, new everything. Thor was of course thrilled; though Loki had grown quieter than normal ever since he’d been told he and his brother were to be separated. His older brother was too excited to notice Loki’s dismay, though Frigga did.

The day before the official ‘move’ took place, the two boys played outside for so long they both were exhausted at the days end. After Frigga put to bed a half-asleep Loki, she tucked Thor into his new room.

“There’s quite the storm brewing out there.” The queen commented. She took a quick glance at the dark clouds gathering to form a spring rainstorm out in the night sky. “Are you certain you’re warm enough dear?”

“Yes.” Thor nodded, burrowing himself under his new covers. “Do you think there will be lighting? Or thunder?” He asked excitedly through a yawn.

Frigga laughed softly and placed a bear fur over her son for extra warmth. “Perhaps. But don’t get it in your head to stay up looking for it.” She patted Thor’s hand and stood up, a gentle smile spread across her warm face. “Good night Thor, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night, mother.” Thor replied with a sleepy grin, settling into the soft mattress as he watched the queen blow out the candle and leave the room like an elegant ghost.

It wasn’t long after his mother left that the sound of rainfall against glass filled Thor’s new room from outside. But it didn’t frighten the prince. He in fact loved the rain, and the powerful thunder and lightning that came with it. As he drifted off to sleep with the storm above as a lullaby chorus, Thor hoped the rain would stay throughout the night and into tomorrow so he could admire it then.

…

About four hours after Thor fell asleep; a loud clap of thunder awoke the prince with a start. He sat up, looking about the room. The previously gentle rain had turned into a harsh downpour outside, and Thor was now glad for the extra blankets his mother had wisely covered him with. He shrived and moved to gather the covers back up when he froze.

His bedroom door was open, not by very much, but Thor distinctly remembered his mother closing it. He frowned, beginning to slide out of bed to go close it when something tugged at his blanket. Thor yelled in surprise, when a flash of lighting showed the wide-eyed, scared face of his intruder.

“T’or!”

“Loki?”

Thor’s brow knit together as he looked down at his little brother. His green eyes were huge with fright, and his fingers clutched his blanket in a death grip. That’s when Thor remembered that Loki didn’t share his interest in rainstorms. In fact, they terrified him. And it didn’t take a child expert to figure out that without Thor, Loki’s distress had been doubled.

Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky, applauded by thunder. Loki trembled and hid his face in the blanket. “It’s too loud, T’or!”

Thor sighed with a smile tweaking his mouth. “Don’t worry about it Loki, it can’t hurt you.” Pulling the blankets aside, the prince patted the bed and motioned to Loki. “C’mon, with all that outside you won’t sleep and then you’ll be all grouchy tomorrow.”

He’d barely just finished saying this when Loki scampered into his bed and curled up next to him. He grabbed the covers and buried himself in them. A flash of lighting, followed by thunder shook the clouds and a small whimper came from under the covers, making Thor choke on a laugh.

“It’s only a storm, Loki.” Snuggling back down into the covers, Thor settled next to his little brother and put an arm around his small frame.

Instinctively, Loki leaned into him and put his thumb in his mouth. “We’wl  fwather get mawd becwase I’m in hwere?”

It was hard to understand Loki when he had his thumb in the way of his tongue, but Thor understood him well enough. It was a brother thing. “I don’t care. Let’s just get some sleep, okay?”

Loki huffed out a sigh but said a quiet “Okay”.

After a few minutes, Loki finally fell asleep, forgetting about the thunderstorm and safe in the warm cocoon of blankets with his brother. Thor listened to the rain for a while, mixed with the soft rhythm of Loki breathing next to him. He felt at home now in his new room, and fell asleep in perfect contentment.   

…

As the years went by, both Thor and Loki grew older into adolescence. Thor was beginning to become truly skilled in fighting, and found new friends who shared the same interest. Sif and Fandral became Thor’s training partners, and they all enjoyed knocking each other around.

Loki found his talent in magic, and was taught in the art by his mother Frigga. She had another student named Amora who was also gifted in magic, whom Loki became friends with. At least they said they were friends, when they weren’t throwing fireballs and cruses at each other.

The brothers would spend their days apart, seeking their own interests. But almost every night, Loki would sneak into Thor’s room. Sometimes they’d stay up and talk about the events of their day, or just collapse from exhaustion and fall asleep in seconds. Either way, they both slept better when they were together. They never talked about it around others, because other brothers didn’t stay in the same room or bed, if it could be helped, at their age. But to Thor, if just felt right having Loki next to him, and Loki felt safer while asleep with his older brother there.

This carried on for a long time, unseen and unnoticed by their parent. Until one winter, a maid came into Thor’s room to lit his fire and found the prince and his brother wrapped up in the blankets together. Of course, that got to Odin, and he wasn’t at all happy.

The king had locks put on both their doors, and even went as far as to have guards standing alert in the hallways. Thor protested, but it went nowhere. Loki said nothing about it, and after they’d both been rebuked by their father, Loki spent more and more time in his chambers reading books about magic, and less and less time around Thor.

Thor wondered if Loki felt ashamed or embarrassed about the matter, though he never got an opportunity to ask. Odin took Thor on voyages to other realms, hunting trips in the mountains and studying the law for when he’d sit on the throne and rule the people.

Thor became so busy, he rarely even saw Loki. But that didn’t mean Thor didn’t miss his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be posted soon. Thanks for all the kudos! Hope to hear in the comments what all your thoughts were on this chapter. <3 (Sorry again about how short it was)


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit longer and is from both Loki's and Thor's POV. Sorry it took me a while to post, been having adventures up here in North Dakota with my sister and her husband that's been keeping me busy!

Every realm in Yggdrasil had sunsets, but the ones in Asgard were truly magnificent. As the sun descends down to the horizon, and the sky is painted in glorious reds, ambers and deep yellow, the city of Asgard reflects the spectacle off its golden walls. Together, both the sky and city glowed like a jewel crowning the nine worlds from above. And it was a sight Thor simply loved coming home to.

After an entire week in Alfheim hunting down a pack of bandits with the Light Elves, Thor was glad to be home. He was beginning to spend so much time in other realms that he found he missed his own more and more. But Odin wished him to become familiar with the other worlds, and Thor couldn’t argue with the Allfather. 

The prince now traveled with a group of friends and experienced soldiers at his side. Sif, whom had more than proved herself as a fine warrior, Frandral, who spent more time wooing woman than he did fighting, and Volstagg, who favored edible treasures all fought at Thor’s side. They’d become close over their long adventures together, and trusted each other’s swords and hearts with great confidence.

As the group rode into the city and wound their way up to the palace, Thor couldn’t help but smile as he looked around him. Alfheim did have its charms, but nothing beats home. Children were still running around playing outside, stopping to stare at the prince and his company. Birds were calling to each other from the many gardens as they settled in for the night, blending with the jolly laughter coming from the occasional house as families started their evening meal. The shinning towers scattered across the city shone like bronze swords in the low light, and Thor grinned even wider as the great waterfalls came into view. The water looked like liquid fire, tumbling off the mountain cliffs and into the starry void below.

While Thor was away, he often found himself thinking about his home, sometimes even on the battle field. But there was something else the prince kept thinking about. It was more like a plague, invading his mind at the most inconvenient times or for no real reason at all. Thor found, that the further he was away from home, the more his thoughts strayed to Loki.

The two brothers hadn’t spent a decent ten minute together in years. Frigga said that Loki had developed a skill in magic at a remarkable rate, surpassing any other student she’d ever taught.  But Thor had never gotten the change to actually see his brother preform magic of any kind, because when they did see each other, it was at formal events or social gatherings. And since Thor was always surrounded by people talking mindless chatter that he couldn’t seem to be rid of, he barely saw Loki even then. He longed to have back the relationship he used to have with his brother, and felt guilty he hadn’t tried to do something about it sooner.

So, as Thor and company rode through the palace gates, the prince had his mind set on finding his younger brother. He dismounted from his steed, biding his friends a hurried goodbye as he quickly walked inside the palace. But before he could even start to wonder where Loki might be, Thor was greeted by his mother, the queen.

“Aren’t you going to say hello?” Frigga said with that warm smile of hers. She was glowing like the rest of Asgard this evening, but not quite like the radiant, setting sun outside was. More like stardust.

Thor smiled back and opened his arms as his mother embraced him. “Hello mother. I’ve missed you, how has the realm been?”

“I missed you as well.” Frigga replied. “Things have been fine. Summer’s well on its way and I’m glad to have you home for a while.”

The queen hooked arms with Thor as they strolled down the hall, happy to be in her son’s company again. She frowned however, that motherly insight telling her something was amiss in her Thor’s heart. “What troubles you? Is your father running you ragged with all these voyages?”

Thor laughed and shook his head. “Nay, I enjoy them even though they take me away from home.” He then sighed, finding the stone tiles beneath his feet suddenly interesting. “But, while I was in Alfheim, I heard the Elves talking about a sorcerer that lived in the western woods… And it made me think of Loki.”

“Ahh.” Frigga tried tohide the grin tweaking at her lips and almost succeeded. “It doesn’t surprise me that you miss him. You were both so close when you were younger. And I believe he misses you as well.”

“Really?” Thor asked, turning his gaze to his mother again. “I hardly know him now, besides that fact that he likes magic. But even that I don’t know very much about.” The prince stopped for a moment, an idea lighting up his face. “Do you think he’d enjoy coming with me next month to Alfheim? I’m sure there are plenty of things that would interest him there!”

The queen laughed good-naturedl,y than gave his idea a moment’s thought. “I don’t know, Thor. Your brother is more reserved these days and prefers to stay in his chambers, but it couldn’t hurt to ask.”

Inspired by the thought of having adventures with Loki at his side, Thor said a hasty goodbye to his mother, promising he’d be at breakfast the next morning and tell her all about his trip. Thor of course knew where Loki’s rooms where, but somehow it felt a little forbidding.

When he reached the wooden doors, he hesitated to knock. His confidence built up however, because this was _Loki._ The Loki that used to dump cold water on him in the morning, the Loki that would lie and sweet-talk Thor and himself out of trouble of any kind. Surly he couldn’t have changed to the point where Thor wouldn’t know him at all.

Finally knocking, Thor waited patiently for a response…but it didn’t come. He knocked again, and again it didn’t open. He was about to call out when a bang came from inside the chambers. Curiosity overtook common courtesy, and Thor boldly opened the doors and stepped inside. Thor might have hoped that Loki hadn’t changed much, but his room most certainly had since he was last in it.

The room was dimly lit from a dying fire in the hearth, but even if it was blazing it probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Loki’s bed was covered in dark furs and emerald blankets, which were the overall colors of the room. The curtains were drawn tight over the windows so no light came through. A leather sofa sat in front of the fireplace, but it was littered with books. In fact, the entire room seemed to have leather bounds books of all sizes scattered (in a neat way) everywhere there was a flat surface. Thor thought it odd, considering that every wall had bookcases. But they were more than full to the brim as it was.

Seeing as Loki wasn’t in the room, Thor began to wander towards the door off to the left wall, when to his surprise it opened on its own. Loki walked out, completely oblivious to his brother standing just a few feet away and made his way to one of the bookcases. Thor would have greeted him, if he wasn’t in a state of amazement at what he was seeing.

About eight books floated around Loki like birds. Each seemed to take turns in front of their master, who flipped through their pages with a discontented air. Whatever he was searching for, Loki apparently couldn’t find. He was so absorbed in thought that he almost walked right into a bookcase. He cursed under his breath and then snapped his fingers.

Thor watched in bewilderment as the books floating around his brother flew across the room and into the adjoining room to the left. The blond prince had never really seen much magic in action, aside from the small tricks his mother did for the boys when they were children. But that was nothing compared to what Loki did next.

 _All_ the books in the bookcase in front of the younger prince soared out from their places on the shelves, crowding like a flock of gem colored sparrows around Loki. He kept searching each one quicker than lighting, green eyes darting over every page from every book until they lit up with success and snatched a book out of the air. The other books still flew around like kites as Loki’s eyes ravenously read over the words in the black, leather bound book he’d found as he started to walk back into the other room. That’s when he at last noticed Thor, who was still staring in wonder at the whole show.

Loki froze, like a deer caught in a trap, as did all the books trailing behind him. Now that they were face to face, Thor got the closest look at his little brother than he had had in years. He had grown into a fine man, but was also different in many aspects. His face and body seemed to be made up of elegant and bold outlines. His shoulders and cheekbones stood out in contrast to the graceful nature of the rest of his physique. Loki had his raven hair smooth back and out of the way of those piercing green eyes that reminded Thor of a wolf’s gaze, completely even, composed and intelligent, yet they seemed to be looking right through him.

Cleaning his throat, Thor smiled uneasily and broke the silence between them. “Hello. I didn’t mean to bother you...”

Loki stared at him for a moment longer, flickering over Thor cautiously. It didn’t occur to Thor that Loki hadn’t seen him this close and alone in ages either. “Hello...” He said slowly, a faint smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “You’re not bothering me. I was just startled.”

The younger god made a graceful movement with his right hand, and all the books behind him filed themselves in a line and flew back to their proper places among the shelves. “Do you need something?”

Thor cleared his throat and shook his head. “No, I just want to see how you were fairing. Mother tells me you’re well on your way to becoming a master of sorcery.”

Loki chuckled, a sound just a few steps away from a purr and smiled. “Mother over exaggerates, I still have much to learn…How was your trip to Alfheim?”

“Fine. It took longer than we thought to find where the thieves were hiding, but we captured them all in the end.” Thor answered. “Your talent in magic is truly impressive brother, even if it is a woman’s skill.”

“Flattery doesn’t become you, Thor. But your attempted complement is acknowledged.” Loki’s tone was dry, but his eyes shined with mischief. “Did you really just come here to see my tricks or was there something else?”

Thor had been right, Loki hadn’t changed much. And he was glad. “Yes and no. I wanted to talk to you about something-“

“Then talk to me while I work.” Loki interrupted, walking past Thor towards the other room. “I was in the middle of a spell.”

“Alright.” Thor replied, following his brother through the doorway. He was all prepared to ask Loki if he’d come with him to Alfheim next month, but forgot about the subject for a minute as he entered the chamber.

This room, which Thor decided was probably a study, was similar to Loki’s bedroom in color and size. Only _every_ wall was covered from floor to ceiling with books, as were the several desks and tables in the room. Vials of magical solutions lined a circular cabinet that sat in the middle of the room, and a few were on another table next to a softly glowing glass orb. It was dark in here too, the only light coming from a small fire pit off to the side and away from all the books.

“You don’t come out much, do you?” Thor observed, resisting to cough in the dense air that smelled a little too strongly of old paper and odd scents he didn’t recognize.

“Not really, no.” Loki chuckled again, clearing away a pile of scrolls off a table to put his book on. “What is it you wanted to tell me? Or was that it?”

“I wanted to ask if you’d like to join me on my trip to Alfheim next month.” Thor ignored the questioning look from Loki and continued. “There are countless things I’ve seen in the other realms that I’m sure would interest you. You wouldn’t have to fight if you didn’t wish too, though you could probably talk anyone out of starting a battle anyways…And, I want to spend more time with you. Even if you don’t favor going off Asgard. I’ve missed you.”

While he had been talking, Loki had picked out several vials from the cabinet and carefully mixed them together in a glass vessel. It made a thick, dark purple liquid that Loki studied cautiously. Once his brother was finished, Loki stared at the vessel silently for a moment, thinking.

“…Will you ask father first?”

Thor’s brow creased a little, confused as to why Odin’s approval was needed for them to spend time together. “If you want me too, then of course. Why?”

Loki shrugged, turning his attention back to the dark purple potion. “I want you too.” He avoided Thor’s question all together but smiled at his brother. “But I would like to join you…I have missed you too.”

A beaming smiled spread across Thor’s face, in no way hiding his excitement. “Thank you Loki. I’m certain we’ll know each other like we did before in no time!”

To Loki’s evident surprise, Thor hugged him and laughed. “Remember that spot mother used to take us in the mountains? I’ve been aching to see it. Why don’t we ride out tomorrow and see how if it’s changed over the years?”

Thor smiled when Loki nodded; holding his vial out of Thor’s way sensibly so his brother wouldn’t break it in his unexpected affections. “Alright. Just ask Odin first.”

His smile faded a bit at Loki’s mention of Odin again. “Loki, why are you worried over what father-“

“Just ask him, okay?” Loki requested, though his reasons of why he kept to himself. “When do you want to leave tomorrow?”

Sighing, Thor took a hint and left the matter alone. “Noon, if that’s a good time for you.”

“Yes it’s fine.” The dark haired prince responded. “I should have the kinks worked out of the spell by then.”

Taking notice of the vial and the contents Loki had made for the first time, Thor looked down at the vessel curiously. “What is it for?”

“Me. It’s just something I’ve been working on.” Loki placed it on the table, the liquid frothing a bit as he did. “Since summer is nearly here, I’m trying to make a spell that will repel the heat from me. But so far, it keeps making a snowstorm cloud and it’s frustrating.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Thor said with an encouraging smile. “Does the heat bother you that much?”

As soon as he said that, Thor realized why Loki would want such a spell and flinched from the glare he received from his brother. _Adopted_ brother.

“My apologizes, I didn’t mean anything by that Loki, honestly.”

Rolling his eyes, Loki shook his head faintly. “I know you didn’t. You can’t help your ignorance.”

Thor would have been offended if he didn’t think he deserved a retort like that. He sighed. “Well, I’ll let you continue then.” He patted Loki’s shoulder, and then started towards the door, glad that Loki had agreed to go with him the next day but embarrassed by his thoughtless comment.

“Thor.”

He stopped and turned around. Loki’s overall face had a blank expression on it, but in the low light Thor could just barely see his lips curled in a grin, and his bright green eyes were smiling. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Thor smiled sincerely, earning a full grin from his brother and quietly left the chambers.

As Thor walked to his own rooms, there was a spring in his steps that hadn’t been there in ages. He’d been successful in convincing Loki to come with him, though his heart told him that Loki hadn’t needed _that_ much encouraging.

…

Later that night, after two more vexing failures with the cooling spell that resulted in covering _both_ his rooms into a winter holiday, Loki collapsed into his bed well past midnight to try and get some sleep. This, two minutes after attempting too, he realized was impossible. Just like almost every night.

Precious sleep only came when Loki was exhausted from a long day of mentally or physically working at something, whether that be a stubborn spell or a stubborn Amora. Sometimes both. But tonight was a regular one, and sleep would be unattainable completely.

The reason for this was a simple and embarrassing one, which had to do with Loki being a Jotun. Loki knew about his own true race and how he was adopted, (it became rather obvious in the summer months) but as for what his kind was like, he had only his own experiences and old books to learn from. And both of those weren’t very reliable. The books were all written from the perspective of the Aseir, and Loki himself _was_ a runt after all. He could be vastly different from a natural born Jotun.

From what he had gathered, Jotun children form bonds with each other at a very young age. Parents will pair their offspring together with children of other families, and years later, often they’ll become mates. It’s similar to imprinting, and very few races outside of the Jotuns themselves knew this fact commonly. Frigga apparently didn’t, nor Thor. So no one but Loki knew that he had unknowingly imprinted on his adopted brother, Thor.

It was a frustrating situation for Loki, but he told no one and hid the physical appearance of lack of sleep with spells. He’d tried literally knocking himself out with magic to try and sleep, but he’d wake up feeling dizzy and completely out of sorts. Loki had even tried to make a spell that would provide the energy his body needed to go _entirely_ without sleep, but he had yet to have positive results with said spell. All of this pointed to only one solution; he needed his brother’s presences to acquire slumber. And that was horrifying.

Loki pushed his face into a pillow and heaved out a sigh. He was determined that Thor would never find out about the matter, but sometimes like now, his sleep deprived mind just wanted to sneak into the other’s room and crawl under the blankets next to his brother…

 _Oh for gods sake, stop it,_ Loki scolded himself, scowling into the pillow case. Taunting himself wouldn’t help at all. So he sat up and slipped his robe on and walked quietly into his study.

Now that the sun’s warming rays were gone, Loki opened his windows and let a cool, evening breeze sail through the chambers. It was refreshing, but yet another reminded how different he was from every other being in this ‘golden’ realm. A fact Odin would never let him forget.

Loki’s thoughts turned briefly to the king, whom he was supposed to call ‘father’ and he ‘son’, but both greatly resented the terms that weren’t real. Plus that ‘father son bonding’ never happened because neither party wanted it. But Loki didn’t need to think about more family troubles at the moment and turned his attention to the books in front of him.

However, after nearly six hours of reading about how to turn oneself into another form without suffering side effects, Loki finally fell asleep.

The next morning found him sitting in a chair with his face on a book, stiff and still tired. Perfectly normal for him, though Loki’s mood improved considerably when he remembered his appointment with his brother at noon.

It was barely before dawn, and the sky was just starting to think about letting the sun back into its realm. The air still clung to the previous night’s chill, though that didn’t both Loki a bit as he dressed. He felt, for the first time in a long time, excited, happy even.

It felt amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to hear from any readers on their thoughts of the story so far! Chapters should start to become longer, more interesting and exciting, and hopefully updated often once I get settled back in my home state. =^u^=


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to the lack of updates! School and life drama has been keeping me busy and I regertfully had to put my writing on the back burner. But here we are (finally)! Hope you enjoy what my sleep deprived mind managed to unearth. :3

Thor arrived at the stables about twenty minutes _after_ noon, due to the overwhelming complements and questions he was receiving from almost every nobleman and servant in the palace. He couldn’t say that he didn’t like the attention, but it was hard to get anywhere (much less on time) when he was being stopped with inquiries and praises every two minutes. When Thor did finally reach the stables, he was itching to get somewhere quiet and more importantly, spend some quality time with his brother.

The horses were all ready to go, and Loki stood patiently next to his black steed while holding the reins of Thor’s white stallion. His expression was blank, though Thor could see the slight annoyance in those green eyes.

“I was beginning to think you would not show, brother.” Loki stated as he handed the other bridle to Thor.

“My apologizes,” Thor patted the neck of his horse but couldn’t help a grin in Loki’s direction. “But I’m here now, aren’t I? Let’s hurry and leave. I don’t think I can bare another complement from someone I hardly know today. ”

The younger god just barely managed not to smirk as he mounted his steed. “You needn’t worry about any of that while in my presence.”

Thor smiled knowingly at Loki. “Exactly why I’d rather spend my day with you.”

For a brief moment, it felt like no time at all had passed between them. Neither had really changed, they both realized, just expanded their personalities. All they had to do now was figure out what traits been added to each other through the years and learn to understand them.

_And how hard could that be?_ Thor thought to himself.

A lot harder than he thought, it turns out.

…

Thor had spent quite a lot of time in the company of people who _loved_ to talk, whether about reasonable subjects or absolutely nothing at all. He’d learned, though it was considered rude, to simply tune the chatter out and think about something else, nodding and smiling when it was needed. But the entire ride up into the hill land had been packed with an awkward silence between the two brothers, and it was possibly the most uncomfortable thing Thor had endured in his life.

Loki wasn’t being cold, just quiet. His eyes never strayed from staring ahead, and his features stayed calm but completely unreadable to Thor. For all his older brother knew, Loki could be irritated, uninterested, in thought, bored, or all of the above. Since he didn’t know what to say, Thor figured maybe it was best not to say anything for now. And the environment around them helped distract both of them enjoyably.

The grassed was a vibrant green from the months of spring showers, and now summer flowers peppered the hills in nature’s own secret pattern. The forests line was visible on the edge of the meadow, shady and tranquil. Here and there, squirrels and rabbits could be seen foraging for food among the plants. Thor remembered when Odin taught him in his younger years how to hunt in these very hills. He had caught (just barely) a rabbit and brought it home proudly to Frigga, who took the gift happily even though the small creature was caked in mud and grass.

He was brought out of his childhood memories when a small cabin came into view, tucked into the side of the mountains almost out of sight. Thor grinned and pointed in its direction. “Loki, look!”

Loki seemed to have already found the little lodge and for the first time the whole ride, he smiled. “Yes, I see it. It looks neglected, but still in good condition.”

Thor wanted to take a look at the little cabin right away, though he agreed when Loki suggested they lead the horses down to the lake first to have a drink.

The lake sat in the center of the small valley in an arc of cool, navy blue water. Though the sun was high in the sky and shining brightly, one couldn’t see far the waves into the depths of the water. It added a beautiful, though mysterious air to the cheerful environment.

As they lead their horses down to the edge of the bank, Loki surprised Thor by being the first to break the silence between them by asking “Will your companions mind having me in your company?”

Thor wondered briefly if this question was what Loki had been pondering the entire ride, before shaking his head. “Nay, I do not believe so. They are good people, though Sif may give you a hard time at the beginning…understandably.”  

Loki chuckled as he patted his steed’s neck affectionately, watching the horse drink greedily. Many years ago, Loki had cut Sif’s once golden hair and cursed it to only grow back in raven locks. It was a fine trick in the prince’s mind, though the maiden made a point to avoid him. “She’s not one to forgive easily. Or refrain from throwing punches. ”

Thor laughed. “At least you’re quick enough to dodge them, or I’d fear you would have a black eye for months.”

“That and possibly a bloody nose.”

They both laughed, Thor’s loud amusement mixed with Loki’s nearly purring chuckles that mingled perfectly together like two instruments of music.

Thor felt more comfortable now with his brother and dared to ask a question of this own. “Does your magic aid you in combat, or do you use it for only your tricks, brother?”

Loosely letting go of the reins in his hand, Loki knelt by the water and splashed his face with the cool liquid before answering. “Both. It just depends of whether or not I wish too. But I am educated in a number of ways on the usage of magic.”

Sitting beside the younger god, Thor nodded in response. “…What made you take interest in learning magic?”

Loki shrugged, lazily drawing ripples in the water. And as Thor watched, a few of them held their form and flowed away as pictures of strange birds or plants. “I always found it to be a fascinating topic, and I was good at it…But mostly because mother liked it.”

A smile took hold of Thor’s features. “She’s proud of you, how much you’ve learned and how skilled you’ve become.”

“She is proud of you as well, as is Odin.” Loki replied, the last words coming out with a hint of resentment. “…The whole _realm_ is proud of you.”

They were quiet for a moment after that, staring at the curling waves on the water’s surface. Thor knew for a while that the relationship between his father and brother- _adopted_ brother was rocky. And some of the Asgardians looked down upon Loki because of he was Jotun. But Thor always seemed to forget that judgmental eyes and derogatory remarks often followed Loki’s steps, even in the palace. He himself held no such belittling attitude in his heart towards his brother, though that didn’t mean _everyone_ shared in his point of view.

After a long minute, Loki sighed. “I’m sorry.” His green eyes flashed over to his brother’s form, not daring to look longer than a second. “I did not intend for that to come out so…bitter.”

“Its fine, Loki.” Thor turned to face his brother, looking into his eyes even if they didn’t return his gaze. “I know it is not nearly the same, but if it’s any comfort, _I’m_ proud of you.”

At those words, Loki did stare back at Thor. He seemed disbelieving and skeptical for a moment, until appreciation and gratitude washed over his face in a smile. A _real_ smile. “No, it’s not the same,” He agreed, “But I’d much rather have your approval than the realms.”

Thor smiled back at him, but frowned when Loki suddenly did. Something had drawn his gaze away from Thor to the water’s surface. Something that was worrying him.

“Brother?” He asked, glancing at the lake himself but saw nothing. “What it is?”

Loki had frozen like a prey animal being watched by a predator, muscles stiff but ready to fly into action at the smallest sigh of danger. He lifted a hand and pointed towards the middle of the lake, whispering “There” just loud enough for only Thor to hear.

As Thor followed his gaze, he at last saw what was worrying Loki. And became equally concerned himself. A trail of bubbles was breaking the surface of the lake, causing ripples to appear among the waves, but the source was unseen in the murky water. But whatever it was, it was steady making its way towards the shore where the two brothers sat.

Next to Thor, Loki raised his body and slid his feet underneath him, preparing to make a hasty retreat from the waterline when the time came. Thor followed his example, and just in time for as soon as his soles were touching the ground, the creature exploded its’ head from the water and roared.

It was a water serpent. A _big_ one.

The giant snake hissed at the two princes, blue-green tinted scales glinting dully in the sunlight. Its eyes were a wild red, taking a good look at each of its intruders with a fierce gaze that was intensified by its wickedly long fangs.

While both brothers were taking this sight in and just starting to react, the serpent hissed again, only this time a spray of jade liquid spurted out from its snarling mouth. The liquid made contact with Loki’s right forearm and half of Thor’s face and neck. It burned like acid.

“Poison!” Loki shouted, scrambling away from the beast to avoid another volley of green venom.

Thor barely heard him over the screaming roar of the water serpents. His right eye was blinded by the poison and bleeding tears, making it difficult to see the creature as it swam towards him. He remembered the sword hanging from his belt and drew it in one long motion, slashing at the air wildly as the huge snake came nearer.

As the dagger-like fangs were about to plunge down into Thor, a dagger suddenly whizzed through the air and lodged itself in between the snake’s scales perfectly.  Seeing the beast screech in pain and throw itself back into the water, Thor turned and saw Loki running towards him, a long, elegant dagger in each hand.

“Get up!” He barked, almost dragging Thor to his feet. “Get up, it’s only angrier now!”

Loki was right. They hadn’t taken but two steps before the water serpent emerged from the water again, long neck swaying from side to side and growling low in its throat. Only this time, the princes were ready.

Thor’s fingers flexed around the hilt of his sword as the snake shot its ugly head forward, jaw wide open as if he wanted to swallow the Asgardian whole. Thor was too quick however, and jumped out of the way as the creature lunged within striking distance and hacked away with his blade.

The creature howled in pain, scales and blood flying in its retreat back into the water. Thor’s attack had left parts of its chainmail like scales broken and vulnerable, a weakness in its armor. Loki noticed this too, and reacted swiftly.

Four throwing knives hissed through the air, one after the other and hit its mark perfectly in the water serpent’s exposed flesh. More blood gushed out and as the beast roared one last time in defeated fury, Thor dealt the final killing blow. As his sword sliced the snake’s windpipe, a low rumble came from the serpent and its own body weight pulled it down into the depths of the waters.

After the water serpent’s body disappeared, the air seemed too still and quiet. Both brothers stood by the bank staring at the gentle waves, panting and soaked in water and blood. They watched for any hint of glistening scales or pearly white fangs, but no more monsters reappeared.

Somewhere, a bird began to sing again, and the world seemed relaxed again. Loki eased his muscles, heart slowly beating at a normal pace again. His left arm burned from the beast’s poison, but it the pain was manageable. He turned to look at Thor, and to his brother’s confusion laughed like he hadn’t in years.

Thor’s face had caught a fair amount of the serpent’s poison, including his right eye. And from the way he was squinting his irritated eye, the resemblance to Odin was uncanny. Loki continued laughing; trying to get a hold of his breathing but lost it every time he looked at Thor’s confused face.

“What?” Thor asked, utterly lost at what his brother found so hilarious. He took a hint however when Loki pointed at his swelling eye, and after a brief look at his reflection in the lake, he started laughing too.

It took them a long while to calm down, though their wide smiles refused to leave their faces. They ended up sitting next to each other on a patch of grass that wasn’t stained with serpent blood, starting to clean their weapons and mild wounds.

“Mother’s not going to like this.” Loki muttered, though his grin still tainted his mouth.

Thor shrugged. “We’ll just not tell her.You are good at lying, aren’t you?”

Loki scoffed. “She’s the one who _taught_ me how to lie, Thor…but I can certainly try.”

The trickster wrapped his forearm in a strip of cloth from his shirt, securing it with a spell. He cast a glance at his brother. Thor’s eye was clearly stinging and hindering him from wiping the serpent’s blood off his face, though he was never one to admit he needed help. _Stubborn lug_ , Loki thought.

“Here, let me.” Loki scooted closer, taking the cloth his brother was using to wipe away the remaining poison.

Thor mumbled a ‘thank you’ as the younger god dabbed away the stinging fluid away from his face. His touch was like the first snowfall of winter; serene and gentle. Once Loki finished with his face, he moved on to Thor’s neck. Though his skin felt like burning coals, Thor never once felt any pain from his brother’s assistance.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds around them was birds singing and the water lapping at the rocks. Until Loki asked a question that had been on his mind since Thor first arrived at the stables.

“What was Odin’s response when you asked to leave with me this morning?”

Thor shifted slightly so he could face his brother. “He had none. I didn’t ask.”

Loki immediately froze, wide eyes staring at Thor like he’d just slapped him, flashes of anger born of betrayal igniting in his gaze. “ _What_?”

“I asked mother instead. She sends her greetings.”

Loki sat back on his heels, expression dropping to a blank one as he stared at the lake, once again completely unreadable to Thor’s eyes.

 He sighed, moving closer to his brother whom seemed to possess secrets than he could begin to count, always hiding his thoughts behind an impassive mask. “Brother, it’s obvious to me that your relationship with father isn’t…marvelous. I can guess all I like as to why, but wouldn’t it be easier for both of us if you just told me?”

Silence was all that Thor got in response. Thick, heavy silence.

“Why do you fear him?” He asked, concern and curiosity clearly written on his face.

Loki closed his eyes, either in exasperation or confession Thor couldn’t tell. Probably both. When he spoke, he did so in a quiet, low voice. 

“Because if I didn’t I would be living under the lie of false love.”

Thor remained quiet, expecting Loki to continue, so he did.

“Perhaps, there was a hint of compassion in Odin’s heart when he found me in the cold ice, though I haven’t once seen it for myself. To him, I’m leverage against a race of monsters. I’m trouble waiting to happen. And in all honestly, he has a fair reason to believe so. That’s why he tries to separate our paths… keeping us apart so I don’t taint you.”

“How could you possibly taint me?” Thor questioned, “Because you’re-“

“A Jotun.” Loki cut in, “The Allfather is not exactly delighted at the idea of his only son being fond of a Frost Giant runt. At least, that’s how he stated it.”

A hundred possible conversations could have been exchanged between Loki and Odin. And each scenario was worse than the last. It was no lie that Odin often regarded Loki with irrationality, and looking back on the past years, Thor realized just how many times Loki had been mocked, pushed aside and left out in the cold to make room for Thor. Usually by the Allfather’s influences.  

“Loki,” Thor started, “I am not as gifted with words as you, so bear with me. Odin may not approve of us forming a connection, but _I_ do. I enjoy your company, and would very much like to continue to enjoy it if it pleases you. So allow me to ask, do you like _my_ company?”

“Yes.” The answer came off Loki’s tongue far quicker than he would have liked. He cleared his throat, still avoiding Thor’s gaze. “...You are _tolerable_.”  

Thor grinned, ignoring Loki’s attempted cover up of his honest reaction. “Then what is there to stop us?”

Loki finally looked at Thor, eyes filled with doubt and disdain. He mulled over the idea being proposed to him carefully. Though he would never say it aloud, he would rejoice at the chance to spend more time with Thor. But doing so would require no small amount of deceit from both individuals.

After what felt like an eternity to Thor, Loki rolled his deep green eyes and sighed. “You’ve always been the rebellious one after all.” A slow smile crept on Loki’s face, showing only a grain of the bushel of delight in his heart.

Whether Loki knew it or not, Thor could see that happiness in Loki’s eyes. His brother might have learned how to mask his face and words, but he had yet to fool Thor with his eyes. It made him smile all the brighter.

~~~

The trip to Alfhiem was remembered very differently by the two brothers.

Loki saw it as a disaster. The company ended up caught between two clans of bandits in the forest realm, having to fight both miniature armies just to get back to the city. Fandral pasted out from loss of blood and everyone suffered from agonizing venomous darts that one side had been using during the assault. All returned tired and limping. Loki didn’t come out of his room for weeks and it took a lot of pleading from Thor to get him to go on another ‘adventure’. And it was largely because having Thor begging at his door for hours got very annoying very fast.

Thor however, thought of the trip as a success. He had worried that Loki and his other friends wouldn’t mingle well. And at first they didn’t, looking at his little brother like a weakling. But Loki more than proved his steel by saving their lives numerous times, usually without even noticing it. They defeated both groups of villains, and had many stories to tell of the battles. And to Thor’s delight, this time they included Loki. He barely remembered fervently beseeching Loki to come with the company to Vaniheim, but he did remember every adventure they had after that for years to come.

When they weren’t in other realms, Thor would find time to spend with Loki in more discreet ways. Whether it was sneaking into his room to watch him practice magic, or convincing him to go on a ‘hunting trip’ in the mountains of Asgard with him. In other words, Thor tracked an animal while Loki trailed behind him reading a book. It didn’t matter _how_ they were spending time together, just the fact that they were together made the situation feel right.

To Thor, Loki was an intelligent wolf, whose gaze held more knowledge, insight, and mystery than he could ever hope to unravel. For Loki, Thor was a great lion, abounding with strength, power, and radiance that Loki could never hope to match. They were opposites, counterparts and desperately unalike, but they were brothers again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone curious, the trip to Alfheim was going to be another chapter, but the plot was boring and frankly I enjoyed summing it up in a few paragraphs rather than in another one of my normal 3,000 word chapters. I could really use some encouragement with this fic, since the plot is currently a little out of whack at the moment. Thanks for reading and please leave a comment! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter should be up soon, and I would love to hear any feed back or comments you wonderful reads might like to offer. Hope you enjoyed!


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